Car-coupling



v (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. P. MCDOWELL.

GAR COUPLING. No. 410,374. Patented Sept. 3, 1889..

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JONAS PRIEST MCDOWELL, OF FOOTE, IONVA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,374, dated September 3, 1889. Application filed May 21, 1889i Serial No, 311,509. (No modehl To all whom it ntcty concern:

Beit known that I, JONAS PRIEST McDow- ELL, of Foote, in the county of Iowa and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Car- Ooupler, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to car-couplers, the objectof the invention being to provide for the automatic coupling of the cars in connection with which the coupler is arranged and for the uncoupling of said cars without entering the space between the approaching ends of the cars; and to the end named the invention consists of certain novel constructions, arrangements, and combinations of elements, to be hereinafter described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side view of my improved coupler, the parts being represented as they appear when in the coupled position, and the couplers being shown in connection with two freight-cars, which said cars are shown in central longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side viewof the coupler. Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof, in partial section, on the line 3 3 in Fig.2. Figisafront view of the coupler. Fig. 5 is a side view of one of the coupling-bars. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the coupling-bar; and Fig. 7 is a side View of a modified form of coupling-bar, the bar shown in this figure being employed in coupling cars of different height.

In the drawings, 10 represents a draw-head formed with a flaring mouth 11 and with side recesses 12, in which there are pivotally mounted coupling-jaws 13. Upon the drawhead there is stepped avertical shaft 14, which is guided bya bracket 15, secured in any convenient posit-ion to the end of the car-body. This shaft 11 carries a rigidly-mounted lever 16, to the ends of which lever there are connected laterally-extending rods 17,the ends of said rods being bent down to engage with links 18, that are pivotally connected to the jaws 13, the outer ends of the links 18 being guided by brackets 19, that are arranged as best shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

In order that the jaws may be normally held in the position in which they are shown in the drawings,I coil springs 20 about the links 18, said springs abutting against shoulders 2, formed on the links, and against the inner side faces of the brackets 19, the arrangement being such that while the jaws are normally held as illustrated they may be moved apart by turning the shaft 14 in the direction of the arrow shown in connection therewith in Fig. 3.

To prevent the accidental turning of the shaft 14, I provide it with a weighted latch 22, said latch being pivotally connected to an ear 23, that is carried by the shaft, and in connection with the latch I arrange a slotted keeper 24, which is secured to the end of the car-body. In order that the latch 22 may be raised from below, I provide a cord or chain 25, which passes upward from the latch to and through an eye 26, carried by the shaft or by the hand-wheel 27, secured to the upper end of the shaft, passing thence downward, as shown in Fig. 1, and in order that the shaft may be turned from belowI secure thereto a lever-arm 28.

In connection with the parts above described Iemploy an arrow-headed couplingbar 30, of the form illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, and in order that cars of different height maybe coupled I provide a bent coupling-rod 30 such as the one shown in Fig. 7.

In operation one end of the coupling-rod is inserted in a draw-head, there to be engaged by the jaws 13. Then, as cars provided with my coupler approach, the extending end of the bar will strike the flaring mouth of the draw-head of the adjacent car, and will be guided inward to a position such that it will be engaged by the jaws 13 of the draw-head of said approaching car, the jaws at this time being forced outward against the tension of their springs 20, to provide for the entrance of the head of the coupling-bar.

To uncouple, the latch 22 is thrown out of engagement with its keeper and the shaft 14 turned in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 3, this movement of the shaft carrying the jaws outward to a position such that they will be freed from engagement with the head of the coupling-bar.

In order that the rods 17 may be properly guided, I provide retaining-strips 29, that are arranged as clearly shown in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with a draw-head, of

jaws pivotally mounted therein, a shaft ex are connected, connections between the links and the jaws, brackets 19,and springs 20, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head, of jaws pivotally mounted therein, a shaft extending upward from the drawhead, a lever carried by the shaft, rods connected to thelever, links to which the rods are connected, connection between the links and the jaws, springs arranged in connection with the jaws, a latch carried by the shaft, a keeper which the latch engages, a cord or 'chain connected'to the latch, and a lever-arm 28, arranged at the lower end of the shaft, substantially as described.

JONAS PRIEST MCDOWELL.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. MORGAN, NIoHoLAs SHAFFER. 

